Department for Transport

Crossrail 2 Line: Kensington and Chelsea

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Crossrail Limited and Transport for London about plans for a Chelsea station on the Kings Road in the latest Crossrail 2 proposal.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Department for Transport officials have regular discussions with Transport for London (TfL) about Crossrail 2 as joint sponsors for the project. No discussions have taken place with Crossrail Limited, who are a subsidiary of TfL and are responsible for delivering the Elizabeth line only.

Aviation: Repayments

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of travel companies using a trust account model to process flight-only airline refunds.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The aviation sector is a private industry and these are commercial decisions for individual airlines. There are currently no specific requirements for all travel companies to have a trust account in place for refunds.

Civil Aviation Authority: Powers

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the enforcement powers held by theCivil Aviation Authorityunder the Enterprise Act 2002; andwhat plans they haveto enhance its powers to take action against airlines and travel companies who fail to comply with legislation on refunds for cancelled services.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The CAA has full powers to legally enforce compliance of the airline obligations to refund customers for cancelled flights. HMG will review the CAA powers in due course to ensure they are fit for purpose for the sector in the future.

Aviation: Coronavirus

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to conduct a systematic review of passenger rights and protections following difficulties in accessing refunds for cancelled flights during the COVID-19 pandemic; andwhat steps they are taking to ensure that passenger protections are strengthened under any newairlines insolvency legislation.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Department has been clear that airlines and travel agents should not deny consumers their legal right to a refund, if it is requested and this should be done in a timely manner. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) undertook a review of the refund policies of all UK airlines, as well as a number of international airlines that operate flights to and from the UK. The CAA has utilised this review to influence airlines to change their processes and practices in order to improve performance in providing refunds. The CAA’s actions have led to an improved quality of service and performance from most airlines. The CAA continues to work with carriers to drive down waiting times, but balancing the support businesses need during this unprecedented situation.

Airports and Ports: Coronavirus

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether venues at airports and ports have been removed from the list of exemptions to the restaurant curfew from 10pm to 5am; if so, why; and what assessment they have made of the impact of that decision on social distancing at airports.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Hospitality venues in airports, maritime ports, the Eurotunnel terminal, Motorway Service Areas and catering facilities onboard transport services are exempt from the 22:00-05:00 hospitality closure restriction. These venues, however, cannot sell alcohol during this curfew period, but alcohol can continue to be sold to passengers seated on an aircraft at any time. Additional restrictions apply to hospitality venues in areas where the Local COVID Alert Level is Very High. The aforementioned venues are not exempt from these restrictions.

Driving Under Influence

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the efficacy of the law in respect of drink driving.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government is committed to tackling drivers under the influence of alcohol and ensuring that all such drivers are caught and punished. We have a combined approach of tough penalties and rigorous enforcement along with our highly respected and effective THINK! Campaigns. This reinforces the social unacceptability of drink driving, and reminds people of the serious consequences that drinking and driving can have on themselves and others. The UK has achieved reductions in drink driving over the last 50 years. In 1979, 26% of road deaths occurred in accidents where at least one driver/ rider was over the drink-drive limit. It has been below 15% each year since 2010. We are determined to continue to reduce this number further, through our THINK! campaign, enforcement and tough penalties. The Government has no immediate plans to lower the drink drive limit in England and Wales. We believe that our current measures as outlined above are a more effective deterrent than changing the drink driving limit.

Freight: Seas and Oceans

Lord Risby: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to encourage the take-up of transporting freight by water, rather than by road.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Moving additional freight by water or rail can provide a number of benefits over transporting that freight by road, in particular environmental gains, but can also a decrease in congestion. The Department will continue to consider waterborne freight in future transport policy, including the Future of UK Freight strategy and when looking at transport decarbonisation options. In terms of current measures, the Department offers Mode Shift Revenue Support (MSRS) to assist companies with the operating costs associated with running inland water (or rail) freight transport instead of road, where this is more expensive than road. A similar scheme, Waterborne Freight Grant, is available to help with the additional operating costs of a new coastal or short sea shipping service.

Driving: Mobile Phones

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to ban all hand-held phone use while driving; and what research they have undertaken, if any, on the impact of hands-free phone usage on the safety of driving.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government has recently published a consultation which proposes broadening the offence of using a hand-held mobile phone while driving so that it covers “standalone” or “flight mode” functions as well as the interactive communication functions captured at the moment. The consultation ends on 17 January 2021. We published, at the same time, a report of analysis of data from the U-Drive naturalistic driving project, exploring mobile phone use whilst driving more broadly, both hand-held and hands-free. This qualitative research helps us to understand both the nature and extent of distraction from mobile phone use while driving. Tightening up the offence of using a hand-held mobile phone while driving is one way of addressing the challenge we face.

Crossrail 2 Line

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to hold a full-route public consultation for the latest Crossrail 2 proposal.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The next steps for Crossrail 2 will need to be considered in light of the Government led review on TfL’s future financial sustainability and the forthcoming Spending Review.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Travel: Coronavirus

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce a temporary travel guarantee fund to support travel companies to settle claims made against cancelled travel during theCOVID-19 pandemic.

Lord Callanan: The Government has already launched an unprecedented set of financial support measures to support business and which can be accessed by travel companies, including two business interruption loan guarantee schemes, Time to Pay for tax bills, and VAT deferrals. As of 22 September, the Government has supported over £57.3bn of loans to 1,328,091 smaller businesses.

Hospitality Industry: Coronavirus

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide additional financial support to the hospitality sector as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lord Callanan: My Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Winter Economy Plan outlines the additional support the Government is providing to help businesses, including those in the hospitality sector. Measures in the Winter Economy Pan include the Job Support Scheme, extending the VAT cut until 31 March 2021, the New Payment Scheme to allow deferred VAT payments to be spread through the year, extending the application period for government-backed loans and introducing ‘Pay as You Grow’ repayment options. There are also specific measures to support the self-employed, such as the SEISS Grant Extension. Also the Government have introduced measures to support businesses required to close their premises due to tier 3 restrictions. The Job Support Scheme is being expanded and the Government is also increasing the amounts payable under the Local Restrictions Support Grant scheme and changing this scheme so that businesses will be eligible for payments through it after two weeks of being closed due to local restrictions instead of three.

Bounce Back Loan Scheme: Fraud

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the recovery of loans under the Bounce Back Loan Scheme considered fraudulent is the responsibility of lending banks or the Government.

Lord Callanan: Lenders are expected to pursue appropriate recovery processes including in relation to fraudulently obtained loans under the Bounce Back Loan Scheme, in line with their existing standards. The Government will be providing further guidance to lenders on this. The Government will also consider other appropriate mechanisms to recover fraudulently obtained funds as required.

Bounce Back Loan Scheme: Fraud

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government what advice they received, if any, from officials on (1) the percentage by number, and (2) the value, of loans received under the Bounce Back Loan Scheme estimated to be fraudulent.

Lord Callanan: As part of the Bounce Back Loan Scheme application process lenders undertake fraud checks, including Know Your Customer and Anti Money-Laundering checks as required. In addition, the application form is clear – any individual who knowingly provides false information is at risk of criminal prosecution. We are working across Departments, and with lenders and law enforcement agencies, to tackle fraudulent abuse of the scheme. Details of how we expect BBLS to perform are set out in our accounts for 2019-20, a copy of which has been placed in the Libraries of the House. At this early stage, such estimates are naturally highly uncertain as reflected in the explanatory notes of the Accounts.

Bounce Back Loan Scheme: Fraud

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken, if any, to identify fraudulent applications under the Bounce Back Loan Scheme; and what advice they took from banks or specialist advisors on identifying fraudulent applications.

Lord Callanan: The Government takes the threat of fraud very seriously and a range of measures have been put in place to mitigate fraud and error risk for the Bounce Back Loan Scheme. These include data and intelligence sharing arrangements, enabling us to work with lenders, law enforcement bodies and others to identify fraud.

Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus: Screening

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many COVID-19 tests that have been sent through the post were (1) analysed in UK laboratories, and (2) sent overseas for analysis, in May.

Lord Bethell: In May 2020, 66,648 tests were sent to the United States after an operational issue temporarily held back our laboratory network, which impacted the total number of samples that could be processed. We worked hard to resolve these issues and capacity was restored.   The Real-time Assessment of Community Transmission (REACT-1) national surveillance study currently sends 150,000 tests per month to Germany for processing as part their agreement with the testing provider.

Protective Clothing: Coronavirus

Lord Wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what changesthey have made to their (1)policies, and (2) practice, relating to (a) sourcingpersonal protective equipment, and (b) the methodology used to assess need and stockpilereserves of such equipment, as a result of theCOVID-19 pandemic.

Lord Bethell: We have significantly strengthened and diversified our supply chains for personal protective equipment (PPE) – looking to new suppliers abroad as well as boosting our domestic manufacturing capability. This has helped to build resilience into the future.Thanks to the unprecedented domestic production of PPE, for items such gowns and FFP3 facemasks, by December, supply of PPE through United Kingdom manufacturers will provide 70% of the amount we expect to use from December to March, for all items except gloves. Before the pandemic, just 1% of PPE was produced in the UK.

Gambling: Health Services

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce an NHS-led and commissioned treatment system to treat gambling addiction.

Lord Bethell: The NHS Long Term Plan made a commitment to expand the geographical coverage of NHS services for people with serious gambling problems.In addition to the existing National Problem Gambling Clinic in London, the National Health Service has committed to opening an additional 14 new problem gambling clinics by 2023/24. The NHS Northern Gambling Service in Leeds opened in 2019 and now has satellite sites in Manchester and Sunderland. The NHS Mental Health Implementation Plan has committed to spending a total of £6 million on gambling-related harms by 2023/24.As part of the Long Term Plan, NHS England and NHS Improvement are improving referral routes for mental health services in primary care, by focusing on the integration of services.

PPE Medpro: Contracts

Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: To ask Her Majesty's Government what due diligence was carried out on PPE Medpro Ltd prior to it being awarded a contract for the supply of personal protective equipment to the NHS; and what account was taken of that company having been incorporated in May with a share capital of £100 prior to it being awarded that contract.

Lord Bethell: The Government issued a public call to action to support the increased requirements of personal protective equipment (PPE). The aim was to reach suppliers who had experience of supplying PPE and also those who had no prior experience but who had access to sources of PPE through their business contacts. To date this has resulted in 15,000 suppliers offering their help and support. All offers were prioritised based on volume, price, clinical acceptability and lead time – this is the time from an offer being accepted by the Department to the supplier delivering those items. Suppliers are evaluated by Departmental officials on their financial standing, compliance with minimum product specifications and ability to perform the contract. These were often private businesses whose net asset position is only one factor in evaluating their offer.Contracts are awarded by the appropriate Departmental accounting officer in line with Departmental policy and procedures.

Breast Cancer: Screening

Lord Porter of Spalding: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that women are able to attend breast screening appointments, following reports from Breast Cancer Now that up to 986,000 women in the UK missed their mammograms due to breast screening programmes being paused as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lord Bethell: All National Health Service breast screening providers are operational and working to ensure that all eligible women are invited and attend breast screening appointments. Services have been advised to prioritise women aged 53 who have not yet been screened and women aged 71 or over awaiting a breast screening invitation, together with women assessed as being at very high risk of developing breast cancer.NHS England and NHS Improvement have also made funding available to trusts to support the adaptation of mobile breast screening units in order to enhance their safe use and so maximise the number of units available to screen women.

Dental Health

Lord Colwyn: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan (1) to confirm the funding, and (2) to announce the timing, of the next Adult Dental Health Survey.

Lord Bethell: Funding has been received for 2019/20. The Adult Dental Health Survey protocol has been developed and stakeholder engagement completed. Funding for 2020/21 would enable the commencement of the survey fieldwork. The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to impact on the clinical examination.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking to reduce the number of people waiting more than 12 months for hospital treatment.

Lord Bethell: The restoration of NHS services should ensure that clinically urgent patients continue to be treated first, with priority then given to the longest waiting patients, specifically those breaching or at risk of breaching 52 weeks by the end of March 2021. Continued access to independent sector capacity will help support the recovery and restoration of elective services.In addition, the Prime Minister has announced £3 billion of extra National Health Service funding to support the NHS this winter, and this includes ensuring the retention of the Nightingale hospital surge capacity and continued access to independent hospitals capacity to help meet patient demand. In the longer term, the NHS Long Term Plan aims to increase the amount of planned surgery year on year to reduce the waiting list. This will be supported by an NHS budget increase of £33.9 billion in cash terms by 2023/24.

Coronavirus: Screening

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have identified any shortages in the supply chain that provides chemicals and equipment that have adversely affected the COVID-19 testing capacity.

Lord Bethell: As part of our concerted national efforts to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak, we are doing everything we can to ensure patients continue to have access COVID-19 test equipment and chemicals such as reagents and raw materials in all scenarios.The Department has well-established procedures to deal with shortages and works closely with industry, the National Health Service and others in the supply chain to address supply disruption events that arise, regardless of the cause.

Coronavirus Act 2020

Lord Bridges of Headley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their impact assessment of the Coronavirus Bill, whetherthey have conductedfurther analysis onthe monetised impact of the exercise of powers contained in the Coronavirus Act 2020; and if so, what planstheyhave to publish the findings.

Lord Bethell: As per section 97(1)(b) of the Coronavirus Act 2020, the Secretary of State will make a statement in the two month report about whether he considers the current status of non-devolved provisions to be appropriate. The first such statement was published on 29 May and this and subsequent reports are available in an online-only format.An analysis of the provisions was published on 23 September, to inform the debate held on 30 September can also be found in an online-only format.

Hygiene: Public Spaces

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are takingto ensurethat information hygiene ratings in hospitals and other public spaces are displayed.

Lord Bethell: Public Health England has issued guidance on infection control, COVID-19: Guidance for the remobilisation of services within health and care settings. This includes infection prevention and control recommendations and advice on maintaining physical distancing and patient placement. A copy of the guidance is attached.NHS England and NHS Improvement have also produced standardised signage for trusts, primary care, property companies and facilities management suppliers available to estates departments and to suppliers. This signage is not specific to distance, so it did not become obsolete if national guidance changed.Guidance (pdf, 673.4KB)

Department for Education

Pupils: Coronavirus

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to help pupils fromlow income backgrounds who have missed out on schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Baroness Berridge: The closure of schools to all but our most vulnerable children, and those from keyworker families, was a regrettable but necessary measure. Now it is a national priority for all pupils to enjoy full-time education at school as this is the best place to improve their well-being and development. We have put in place a range of measures to help schools address the time lost; this is especially important for disadvantaged pupils who have been affected most by time away from school.Our £100 million support for remote education distributed 220,000 laptops and 57,000 internet connections to disadvantaged pupils, to enable them to continue learning at home, as well as supporting the foundation of the popular Oak Academy. The £1 billion COVID catch-up package, announced in June, includes the National Tutoring Programme. This will provide up to £350 million of targeted support for disadvantaged pupils who are most at risk of falling further behind. From November, this investment will give schools in all regions access to subsidised tuition supplied by approved tuition partners. The programme will support schools in the most deprived areas to use in-house academic mentors to give small groups intensive catch-up tuition, small group tuition for 16-19-year olds and the improvement of early language skills in reception classes.To complement the National Tutoring Programme, our £650million catch-up premium is enabling schools to target funding at specific pupil needs. The £1 billion package helps schools take immediate action to address the lost learning pupils are facing as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak and is in addition to the £14.4 billion 3-year investment for schools announced last year.We continue to provide pupil premium funding, worth £2.4 billion, that allows school leaders to design support reflecting their disadvantaged pupils’ changing needs.

Treasury

Treasury: Senior Civil Servants

Baroness Kramer: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many BAME civil servants there are at Her Majesty's Treasury at (1) SCS1, (2) SCS2, (3) SCS3, and (4) SCS4, grade.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The Annual Report and Accounts 19/20 includes the percentage of Senior Civil Servants from an ethnic minority background.The Annual Report and Accounts 19/20 shows that the percentage of SCS that are from minority ethnic backgrounds is 9.6% (Core Treasury grade diversity as at 31 March 2020 table on page 98). It also shows that the SCS total FTE is 129.9 (Core Treasury – staff composition at 31 March 2020 FTE table on page 98). Using these numbers, it can be calculated that the number of SCS from this cohort is 12.4 FTEWe cannot provide a breakdown of ethnicity by grade due to the small number of Directors and Director Generals. To do so would risk people being identifiable.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

China: Coronavirus

Baroness Eaton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to seek compensation from the government of China for British victims of COVID-19.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Clearly there are questions that need to be answered about the origin and spread of the virus, not least so we can ensure we are better prepared for future pandemics. The Foreign Secretary has been clear that we want to see a full and robust international investigation to understand why the outbreak happened, why it was not stopped earlier and what can be done to manage any outbreak in the future. It must be open, transparent and rigorous to ensure the right lessons are learned.China is a leading member of the international community and it has to be part of the solution to any major global problem we face, including ensuring we do not face another devastating global health crisis.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Eaton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ask the Palestinian Authority to drop their preconditions for peace talks with Israel.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is committed to making progress towards a two-state solution. We firmly believe a just and lasting resolution that ends the occupation and delivers peace for both Israelis and Palestinians is long overdue. Only the leaders of Israel and the Palestinians Authority can determine the needs and aspirations of their people. However, we have encouraged them to resume cooperation and work towards further dialogue. Ultimately, there is no substitute for direct talks, which is the only way to a reach a two-state solution and a lasting peace. Meanwhile, the parties should do all they can to reverse the negative trends - including systematic settlement expansion and demolitions in the West Bank, violence and incitement, and the dire situation in Gaza.

Israel: Palestinians

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact on Israeli–Palestinian relations of the Israel–United Arab Emirates normalisation agreement, signed on 15 September.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We warmly welcome the agreement between Israel, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. We welcome both the decision to normalise relations, as well as the suspension of plans for annexation - a move the UK has opposed as it would have been counterproductive to securing peace in the region. We profoundly hope that this moment can be used as a step towards direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians, as there can be no substitute in order to reach a two-state solution and a lasting peace. The Foreign Secretary visited Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories on 24-25 August and encouraged the leaders of Israel and the Palestinians to build on this momentum. We urge the Palestinian Authority to resume co-operation with Israel, which is in the interests of the Palestinian people. We also call on both parties to make constructive and open steps towards a return to dialogue.

USA: Foreign Relations

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what meetings they plan to hold with the government of the United States in November and December 2020.

Baroness Sugg: Regardless of who wins the election, the Government will continue to work closely with the current US Administration in these months, as we would normally do, on a variety of issues.

USA: Elections

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have contracted any non-governmental organisation to select election monitors to observe the elections in the United States on 3 November.

Baroness Sugg: Due to COVID-19 restrictions we have not contracted election monitors, so will not be sending observers this year. However, we have every confidence that the US election will be free and fair.

Nagorno Karabakh: Azerbaijan

Lord Kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they recognise the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh as part of the nation of Azerbaijan.

Baroness Sugg: We consider that the Basic Principles for a settlement proposed by the Minsk Group co-chairs provide the basis for a reasonable compromise in this regard, taking due account of the relevant OSCE principles governing relations between member-states. This includes the return of territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijani control and future determination of the final legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh through a legally binding expression of will.

Nagorno Karabakh: Refugees

Lord Kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of refugees from the Nagorno-Karabakh region since 1990.

Baroness Sugg: The UK Government does not have an official figure for the number of displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh since 1990.

Nagorno Karabakh: Sovereignty

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofthe Bill before the French National Assemblyto recognise the Republic of Artsakh; and what plans they have to introduce similar such legislation.

Baroness Sugg: The OSCE Minsk Group is the international forum via which a peaceful settlement to the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan should be reached. We consider that the Basic Principles for a settlement proposed by the Minsk Group co-chairs provide the basis for a reasonable compromise in this regard, taking due account of the relevant OSCE principles governing relations between member-states. The UK Government has no plans to introduce similar legislation to the French National Assembly.

Nagorno Karabakh: Armed Conflict

Lord Kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the missile attack on 11 October on Ganja was a breach of the agreed ceasefire in relation to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict; how many civilians were killed; and to whom they have made representations about this attack.

Baroness Sugg: We are deeply concerned by reported breaches by both sides of the humanitarian ceasefire. The Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas raised her concerns over the attacks on both Stepanakert and Ganja with the Armenian Charge d'Affaires in London on 13 October and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Bayramov on 15 October, clearly stating that civilian casualties are unacceptable. Reporting suggests that 10 civilians were killed and 35 injured during the attack on Ganja. We will continue to make representations to both parties regarding the need to urgently cease attacks against civilian settlements.

Fairtrade Initiative

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support, if any, they are providing to the fair trade movement.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government has been a long-time supporter of the Fairtrade movement with support dating back over a decade. The Fairtrade movement plays an important role in helping producers around the world improve their lives and by making agricultural practices more sustainable.The UK Government is currently funding the Fairtrade Foundation to support Kenyan flower workers and Ghanaian cocoa farmers to recover from the impact of COVID-19. This support is in partnership with a range of retailers through the Vulnerable Supply Chains Facility.The Vulnerable Supply Chains Facility is a newly launched programme that enables vulnerable people and supply chains in agriculture and the garments sectors to recover from and remain resilient to the economic and social impacts of COVID-19. Over the coming 12 months the portfolio will benefit over 800,000 people in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit: Coronavirus

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to maintain the£20 increase to the weekly standard allowance of Universal Credit, made during the COVID-19 pandemic, indefinitely.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The Government introduced a package of temporary welfare measures worth around £9.3 billion this year to help with the financial consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. This included the £20 weekly increase to the Universal Credit Standard Allowance rates as a temporary measure for the 20/21 tax year. Future decisions on spending will be made at the next appropriate fiscal event, and Parliament will be updated accordingly.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Incinerators: Carbon Emissions

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the CO2 emissions limits for energy from waste incinerators; whether they monitor local authorities to ensure that less CO2 from waste is produced each year; and if so, how.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Municipal waste incinerators are regulated by the Environment Agency (EA) in England under environmental permits. Under the permitting process, the EA ensures that the global warming potential of the proposed incinerator will be minimised by the use of Best Available Techniques (BAT - including those set out in the European BAT reference notes) in order to maximise the energy efficiency of the plant and minimise nitrous oxide emissions from its exhaust gas cleaning system. This ensures that the amount of greenhouse gas emitted from the plant per unit of energy generated is minimised.   The EA does not assess (nor place any limits on) the actual amount of CO2 emitted by the plant and municipal waste incinerators are not covered by the European Union’s Emissions Trading System. The amount of CO2 that an incinerator releases is directly proportional to the amount and composition of waste it burns and cannot subsequently be controlled without being captured and stored (carbon capture and storage).   The Government does not monitor CO2 produced from waste at local authority level.

Cabinet Office

Local Government: By-elections

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are monitoring the conduct of local government by-elections in Scotland in order to assess the feasibility of holding such elections in England.

Lord True: Parliament legislated to delay the May 2020 elections and subsequent local by-elections in location to May 2021. We are not changing that legislation, meaning no-one should expect elections to take place in England before May 2021. This decision was made to give Returning Officers and Electoral Registration Officers certainty on the timing and combination of elections at the start of the year.This was outlined in the Minister for the Constitution and Devolution’s letter to Electoral Returning Officers, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/letter-from-chloe-smith-mp-to-returning-officers

Advocate General for Scotland: Public Appointments

Baroness Clark of Calton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the resignation of the Advocate General for Scotland on 16 September, what progress they have made in appointing a successor; and in the absence of any such successor, who is responsible for (1) the Advocate General for Scotland's statutory duties, and (2) litigation in the courts in Scotland where the Advocate General would be named.

Lord True: Keith Stewart QC was appointed as the new Advocate General for Scotland on 15 October 2020.

Department for International Trade

UK Export Finance: Senior Civil Servants

Baroness Kramer: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many BAME civil servants there are at UK Export Finance at (1) SCS1, (2) SCS2, (3) SCS3, and (4) SCS4, grade.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: UK Export Finance (UKEF) is the most ethnically diverse department in the civil service, with 30.7% of staff from BAME backgrounds.The numbers of BAME civil servants in UK Export Finance at senior civil service (SCS) grades is attached.   BAME civil servants in UKEF (docx, 15.1KB)

Department for International Trade: Senior Civil Servants

Baroness Kramer: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many BAME civil servants there are at theDepartment for International Trade at (1) SCS1, (2) SCS2, (3) SCS3, and (4) SCS4, grade.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: The number of Department for International Trade (DIT) staff at Senior Civil Servant (SCS) grade (excluding UK Export Finance) who have self-reported as BAME on departmental systems is 18. Of these, 14 are SCS1 grade. To protect anonymity, where identifiable characteristics are 5 or lower these are redacted, so for the remaining 4 individuals (18 total BAME staff minus 14 SCS1 grade) their SCS grades are undisclosed.The reference date for this data is 30th September 2020. This figure only includes civil servants employed by DIT, working in the UK and on DIT payroll and UK based civil servants working overseas paid via FCDO payroll who are currently engaged in delivering DIT objectives. It is also dependent on individuals self-reporting as BAME on our HR systems. It does not include staff on loan to DIT from other government departments but who remain on their home departments payroll, contractors, military staff, people on secondment from other organisations, locally employed staff working overseas, those who are on loan or secondment out of DIT, on unpaid special leave or career break.

Arms Trade: Turkey

Lord Macpherson of Earl's Court: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to change their policy on granting arms export licences to Turkey in the light of the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: The Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, last updated in a Written Ministerial Statement on 25th March 2014, remains the policy for assessing all licence applications. We continue to monitor developments in the region closely and will uphold our robust export control regime; an export licence would not be granted if it was inconsistent with any of the Criteria. This includes Criterion 1, which ensures Britain meets her international obligations and commitments, such as the arms embargos on Armenia and Azerbaijan established by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

Uighurs: China

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel on 23 September (HL7967), what plans they have to introduce legislation to ban the import of all goods mined, produced, or manufactured in Xinjiang, unless there is evidence that the goods were not produced using forced labour.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: HM Government has serious concerns about the situation in Xinjiang, with reports of the use of forced labour. It has always been the case that where we have concerns, we raise them – as we did on this issue at the UN Human Rights Council, most recently in September.We advise businesses with supply chain links in Xinjiang to conduct appropriate due diligence to satisfy themselves that their activities do not support, or risk being seen to be supporting, any violations or abuses of rights and responsibilities. However, we do not currently have plans to ban imports from Xinjiang.

Import Duties

Viscount Waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the application of the UK Global Tariff on the costs of UK (1) imports, and (2) exports.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: The UK Global Tariff (UKGT) is tailored to the UK economy as a whole and balances the interests of UK consumers and producers. In designing the UKGT, the UK Government has carefully considered the evidence available, including feedback provided through the public consultation where we received over 1,300 responses from a wide range of stakeholders across the business and consumer landscape.The UK Government will publish more analysis in the Taxation Information and Impact Note (TIIN) alongside the legislation, as standard practice.Tariffs on UK exports will depend on the third country’s own tariff schedule and whether the UK has a trade agreement in place with them, not on the UK Global Tariff.

Trade Agreements: Small Businesses

Viscount Waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to embed gap analysis into the process of negotiating free trade agreements in order to identify (1) the amount, (2) the duration, and (3) the terms, of trade finance currently provided by the market compared to what is needed by SME exporters.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: The availability of trade finance support by UK Export Finance (UKEF) is not dependent on Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations.UKEF, as the government’s export credit agency, offers a range of trade finance products to help Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) fulfil export contracts, complementing but not competing with the private sector.UKEF’s trade finance solutions include the provision of export insurance, contract bond insurance, contract bond and export working capital guarantees. Details about these products can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/our-products.In 2019/20 UKEF provided £4.4 billion in support for UK exports, while 77% of UK companies directly supported by UKEF were SMEs.

Arms Trade

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government what safeguards exist to ensure that weapons sold to other countries are not used on civilian populations.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: British arms sales are subject to an export licence. All export licence applications are assessed against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria (the ‘Consolidated Criteria’). The Consolidated Criteria take into account our obligations under the Arms Trade Treaty and other relevant rules of international law. They provide a thorough risk assessment framework and require us to think hard about the possible impact of providing equipment and its capabilities. HM Government will not grant an export licence if to do so would be inconsistent with the Consolidated Criteria.

Arms Trade: Yemen

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was thevalue of UK arms sales to Yemen in (1) 2017, and (2) 2019.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: Although defence and security export statistics by region are published annually on GOV.UK, they do not separately identify data relating to individual countries.The Government publishes official statistics about export licences granted and refused each quarter. The data currently includes details of licences up to 31 March 2020. Data for the period 1 April 2020 to 30 June 2020 was published on 13 October 2020. The data can be accessed on GOV.UK.Licences granted are not necessarily a measure of exports shipped in a given period as they are valid for between two and five years. Licensing data only provides a partial indication of sales as exporters only declare export values for a subsection of licences (Standard Individual Export Licences). Some licences expire before they are used and, in these circumstances, exporters must submit a further application, which can result in an element of double counting. All UK export licence applications are assessed rigorously against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing criteria.Export values declared for Standard Individual Export Licences for military exports granted to Yemen in 2017 and 2019 are as follows:YearValue (£)2017£21,1502019£0It is also the case that there is a partial arms embargo on Yemen. The embargo applies only to designated individuals and entities.

Arms Trade: Saudi Arabia

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the value of UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia in (1) 2017, and (2) 2019.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: Although defence and security export statistics by region are published annually on GOV.UK, they do not separately identify data relating to individual countries.The Government publishes official statistics about export licences granted and refused each quarter. The data currently includes details of licences up to 31 March 2020. Data for the period 1 April 2020 to 30 June 2020 was published on 13 October 2020. The data can be accessed on GOV.UK.It should be noted that licences granted are not necessarily a measure of sales or exports shipped in a given period as they are valid for between two and five years. Licensing data only provides a partial indication of sales as exporters only declare export values for a subsection of licences (Standard Individual Export Licences). Some licences expire before they are used and, in these circumstances, exporters must submit a further application, which can result in an element of double counting. All UK export licence applications are assessed rigorously against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing criteria.Export values declared for Standard Individual Export Licences for military exports granted to Saudi Arabia in 2017 and 2019 are as follows:YearValue (£)2017£ 1,133,477,6612019£ 638,236,675

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Gambling: Advertising

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Advertising Standards Agency, Trends in exposure to TV ads during COVID-19, published on 8 October; and what steps they are taking to reduce young people’s exposure to gambling adverts.

Baroness Barran: The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) recently published data on TV viewing patterns and exposure to TV advertising during the initial lockdown period (16 March – 3rd May 2020). That data shows that both adults and children spent more time watching TV during lockdown compared to the same period in 2019, with average viewing time per week 20% higher amongst adults and 17% higher amongst children. Similarly, exposure to all TV advertising showed a year-on-year increase of 16% amongst adults, and 9% amongst children. Looking at gambling adverts specifically, children saw an average of 4 ads per week during early lockdown, compared to 2.7 ads per week during that same period in 2019, with adverts for lotteries and bingo accounting for most of this increased exposure. Longer term trends show that children’s exposure to advertising fell from a peak of 4.4 TV ads per week in 2013 to 2.5 per week in 2019.Gambling advertising is subject to strict controls on content and placement. Operators must ensure that their ads are not targeted at children and in 2019 the ASA launched a programme of avatar monitoring to identify operators failing to effectively target ads away from children online. In addition, following work with the Gambling Commission, the industry has committed to make better use of advertising technology to target adverts away from children online and on social media. The sixth edition of the Gambling Industry Code for Socially Responsible advertising, which came into force this month, requires operators to ensure advertising is targeted only at those over 25 years old on social media and to age-gate operator YouTube channels and content. These measures build on last year’s voluntary whistle-to-whistle ban on betting ads shown during live sport shown before the watershed. Figures published by the industry indicate that children’s exposure to gambling advertising during live sport has fallen by 70% since the introduction of the ban.

Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body

Palace of Westminster: Repairs and Maintenance

Lord Mann: To ask the Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body what discussions they have had about (1) the combining, and (2) the rationalising, of facilities as part of the Palace of Westminster Restoration and Renewal Programme, including of (a) libraries, (b) refreshment facilities, (c) family rooms, and (d) car parking, (i) during, and (ii) after, any such restoration work.

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: The strategic review of the Restoration and Renewal Pogramme, which is currently being conducted by the Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority, has considered the possibility of the two Houses sharing some facillities during any period of decant, including catering and library functions. However, the desirability of doing so would be subject to the agreement of both Houses, if recommended as part of the decant strategy proposed by the strategic review. The strategic review's draft recommendations will be considered by the Sponsor Body Board in November. The report will then be discussed with both Houses before it is published.The possibility of combining or rationalising facilities after the Palace has been restored has not been considered by the Sponsor Body and would be a matter for both Houses to determine rather than the Programme.